Month: September 2024

The post How Old Is 9 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Jessica Kim appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

The vast majority of people will equate 1 year of human life to 7 years of life for dogs, but it’s actually a little more complex than that. Other factors like breed and size affect a dog’s lifespan, and a 9-year-old dog can be between 52 and 71 years old depending on their size.

Source: Almanac.com

How to Calculate Dog Years to Human Years

Calculating dog years to human years isn’t as simple as multiplying 7 years to every 1 human year. This is because different factors affect how dogs age, such as the dog’s breed, size, and lifestyle.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the process of finding an accurate comparison of dog years to human years must include more considerations. Most dogs will reach the equivalent of a 15-year-old human by their first year of life. After they reach 2 years old, dogs will gain roughly 9 additional human years, making them about 24 years old in human years. After that, every human year will equal about 5 years for small to large dogs, more for giant breeds. The larger the dog, the more quickly those years will accumulate.¹

It’s also worth noting that ongoing research is looking into the correlation between a dog’s size and weight and their longevity. Smaller dogs tend to have longer lifespans than larger dogs, but more research is needed to locate the actual cause that influences different lifespans between them.

What’s the Science Behind Dog vs. Human Years?

While it’s regarded as common knowledge that 1 human year equals 7 dog years, there’s actually no concrete scientific research that supports this belief. It’s most likely that this belief stems from comparing the human average lifespan of 70 years with the canine average life span of 10 years. However, with the changes in average lifespans in both humans and dogs, it’s safe to say that the 7:1 ratio is a huge generalization.

Ongoing research is aimed towards understanding why there are significant differences in the lifespans of small and large dogs. One research study from the University of Gottingen in Germany has found that every increase of 4.4 pounds in a dog will reduce their life expectancy by 1 month.²

The Dog Aging Project was established to study aging in dogs and find ways to promote healthy aging. It currently has ongoing studies that research how biological and environmental factors affect a dog’s lifespan.³

The Life Stages of a Dog

While we may not know the exact age of our dog in human years, we can still know how to take good care of them when we understand a dog’s life stages. Dogs generally go through six life stages:

Puppyhood generally lasts for 6 months to 2 years, depending on the breed of the dog. Larger breeds tend to mature a little slower and may take 2 years to reach young adulthood. The care for puppies heavily focuses on healthy growth and development. Puppies must have their specific nutritional needs met consistently to prevent malnutrition and health complications. They also require healthy amounts of physical exercise, socialization, and mental stimulation.

Dogs enter into young adulthood as they transition from puppyhood to adulthood. Dogs are usually around 6 to 18 months old at this life stage. They reach sexual maturity, but they’re not fully adults yet and may continue to experience growth and developmental changes.

Dogs spend a significant amount of their lives in adulthood, which can begin between the first and second years of their life. They start to become middle-aged at around 5 to 7 years old. Again, the number of years will depend on your dog’s size and breed.

Dogs are considered to be senior dogs when they reach the last quarter of their life expectancy. They remain in seniorhood until they surpass their average life span. After that, they’re regarded as geriatric dogs.

Life Span by Breed Size

Source: American Kennel Club

Key Factors That Affect the Dog’s Aging Process

As we’ve mentioned before, a dog’s aging process is affected by their size and breed. Purebred dogs have more well-documented life expectancies than mixed-breed dogs, and smaller dogs have longer average lifespans than bigger dogs.

A dog’s breed also affects their lifespan because different purebred dogs are predisposed to specific health issues. Some of these health issues can be serious and life-threatening. For example, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are at higher risk of developing cancer as they age.

While genetics play a role in a dog’s life expectancy, lifestyle also affects healthy aging. Dogs that eat a nutritious diet and get appropriate amounts of exercise and mental stimulation are less likely to get sick and develop chronic health issues like diabetes. Dogs that live in stable and happy homes also tend to experience less stress, and caring for a dog’s mental and emotional well-being also promotes healthy aging.

Conclusion

If you’re interested in calculating your dog’s age in human years, it’s best to consider your dog’s age and breed rather than just multiplying their years of life by 7. Having an accurate estimate of your dog’s age can help immensely when caring for your dog. You’ll feel more prepared with providing age-related care for each life stage and know what health concerns to look out for as your dog ages.

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Featured Image Credit: Freyant, Shutterstock

The post How Old Is 9 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Jessica Kim appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

The post How Old Is 7 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Chantelle Fowler appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

There is an old urban legend that says one year of a human’s life is equivalent to seven dog years, and as simple as that calculation is (Dogs Age x 7 = Human Equivalent), it’s not entirely accurate. Depending on its breed and size, a 7-year-old dog would be 44–56 in human years, but determining a dog’s age in human years isn’t quite that simple. Read on to learn how to calculate dog years to human years, as well as the science behind the formulas.

Source: Almanac.com

How to Calculate Dog Years to Human Years

While there is no 100% accurate dog-to-human year calculator, pet owners have a few options for calculating their dog’s age in human years.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) suggests using the following general guidelines for estimating a pup’s human age equivalent:

This method accounts for the fact that dogs age at different rates depending on their size and breed.

Alternatively, a study from researchers at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine found a formula recently that they believe to be more accurate. The formula is based on how methyl group patterning changes in dog and human genomes as they are (more on this in the next section below).

While there is no calculator for this formula, researchers created an easy-to-use graph that can provide some insight into a dog’s age in human years.¹ According to the study, a one-year-old dog is equivalent to around 30 human years. When they’re four, they’re similar to a 52-year-old human. By age seven, aging tapers off and moves at a much slower rate.

While the UCSD formula can be helpful, it lacks enough variables for conclusive results.

What’s the Science Behind Dog vs. Human Years?

Mammals go through similar physiological stages during their lifespan.

The DNA of humans and dogs doesn’t change much throughout our lives, but the chemical marks (also known as methylation marks) on the DNA do shift over time.

As we age, our DNA undergoes epigenetic changes due to a process known as methylation. These changes offer clues to a genome’s age, much like the wrinkles on our faces or grays in our hair.

The UCSD study looked at the changes in chemical marks on the DNA in Labrador Retrievers and compared the changes to those seen in humans.² The results suggest that the relationship is not as perfectly linear as the 1:7 myth suggests. Dogs mature quickly during the first five years of their lives, and then the aging process slows down quite a bit after that.

This study found that a one-year-old puppy is similar physiologically to a 30-year-old human. However, it’s important to remember that this formula is missing some of the variables necessary for conclusive results.

The Life Stages of a Dog

Dogs do not have a single age at which they reach different life stages, as there’s a significant variance in their sizes. Larger breeds have shorter lifespans, but reach sexual maturity much later than their smaller counterparts, so they’ll achieve milestones at a much different pace.

There are four distinct life stages a dog will go through before reaching the end of their life.

Many changes occur during the puppy and young adult stages, as the dogs undergo all of their physical and social growth during this phase.

Life Span by Breed Size

Source: American Kennel Club

Key Factors That Affect the Dog’s Aging Process

Genetics is the most significant factor in how fast a dog ages. Some breeds of similar size age slower than others due to specific genetic markers and traits. Additionally, some breeds are prone to developing health problems that can affect their life span, but not necessarily their rate of aging. For example, giant breed dogs tend to have a much shorter lifespan than small dogs, often due to cardiac disease. Therefore, this does not mean that a 10 year old Great Dane is the equivalent age of a 15 year old Chihuahua, but that they tend to die at a younger age.

While genetics is the most significant determining factor in how a dog ages, several other factors can influence their lifespan.

A dog’s lifestyle can play a pivotal role in how long they live. A high-quality, balanced diet that’s appropriate for their life stage, paired with regular exercise, could potentially extend a dog’s lifespan, while a sedentary lifestyle and obesity will shorten it.

Dogs with owners who are proactive about their pet’s health may also live longer. These pups will have regular veterinary visits, which are essential for detecting, monitoring, and treating preventable diseases.

Conclusion

Though the “one dog year is equal to seven human years” method has been generally accepted as the correct way to determine your dog’s age in human years, we now know that this is not very accurate. Researchers now believe that dogs age very quickly for the first few years of their lives before leveling off at around age seven, but there is significant variation with size, breed, and lifestyle.

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Featured Image Credit: Joe Barti, Shutterstock

The post How Old Is 7 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Chantelle Fowler appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

The post How Old Is 4 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Nicole Cosgrove appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

While the “one human year for every seven dog years” has been a convenient way to correlate a dog’s age to that of a human, this standard falls apart for early ages. Following that rule, a 4-year-old dog would be roughly 28 in human years, a significant underestimation for some dog breeds. The truth is that these dogs are older than expected, with 4 human years equal to 32–38 dog years.

Several factors combine to determine a dog’s functional age. We’ll explore how we calculate how old four is in dog years and what owners can do to turn back the clock.

Source: Almanac.com

How to Calculate 4 Dog Years to Human Years

Based on the average canine lifespan of 10–15 years, the simple calculation of 1 year for 7 dog years is an easy way to gauge their rough age. At 10 years old, a dog would be around 70 in dog years. It’s later in life and around the time they show signs of decline, so the comparison seems appropriate.

Though flawed, going by this equation at least emphasizes the need for owners to begin addressing age-related changes earlier than many might expect. At the tender age of 4, a dog is at a similar life stage to our ‘middle age’.

The Updated Method for Calculating a Dog’s Age

The current method for understanding a dog’s age in human years is slightly more complicated, but more effective for gauging a dog’s maturity. The first year roughly equals 15 dog years, while the second year covers roughly 9 dog years, so by age two, they’re already the equivalent of a 24 year old human. From then on, each year equals approximately 4–5 years, depending on the dog’s size.

Small Dogs

When they reach their fourth birthday, small dogs are approximately 32 dog years old. Although larger species tend to live longer than smaller animals, breeds within a species show the opposite trend. Smaller dogs typically live longer than larger breeds, and many live well beyond their average 10–15-year lifespan.

Medium Dogs

Medium-sized dogs generally live shorter lives than undersized breeds but are still among the healthiest. Many mid-sized dogs have even set records for longevity. They’re roughly the same age as smaller breeds at 4 years, with their human equivalent around 32 years.

It isn’t until they reach the end of the mature adult phase at roughly 6 years that they begin to show more advanced signs of age than diminutive breeds.

Large Dogs

Large and giant dogs are somewhat paradoxical in how they grow. In their first and second years, their human age equivalent is lower than that of small and medium breeds.

Since large breeds are significantly heavier and taller than others, they take longer to reach their adult size. Some take 2–3 years to fill out, whereas many small dogs develop their adult bodies in under a year. Behavioral maturity follows suit with many large breeds, as many stay in adolescence longer. So a 2 year old large breed dog will be similar to an 18 year old human.

Once large dogs reach 3–6 years, the comparison shifts. They now begin showing signs of being relatively old in human years compared to small and medium dogs. Large breeds are roughly 32 years old in dog years at 4 years, while giant breeds are the oldest at 38 dog years.

Why Do Large Dogs Age Faster?

In breed comparisons, large dogs reach higher human age equivalents faster than young dogs. This generally gives us insight into their longevity and helps us estimate when a dog will likely develop disorders and die. Some giant breeds only reach an average of 5–6 years, while many small breeds live 12–15+ years.

Although small dogs have a higher metabolic rate, which would suggest more oxidative damage and a shorter lifespan, the rapid, prolonged growth rates in large dogs likely explain why they die earlier. Increased cellular damage, oxidative stress, and skeletal disorders cause faster wear on their bodies.

Unnaturally large bodies due to artificial selection for massive dogs in recent history are likely at least partially to blame. Plus, breeding processes for many of these dogs use a smaller gene pool to create larger bodies and maintain conformation, allowing for a higher chance of inherited disorders.

This doesn’t mean that an 8 year old giant breed is the equivalent of a 90 year old human. Though they are relatively ‘older’ than a smaller breed, they are not going to reach the ‘ripe old age’ of those smaller dogs.

Physical vs. Mental and Behavioral Age in Large Dogs

Physically, larger breeds age faster and are more prone to age-related bodily disorders like arthritis, cataracts, and bone cancer at a relatively young age. At the same time, behavioral and cognitive changes are not unique between breeds.

Larger dogs don’t develop age-related habits or show signs of canine cognitive dysfunction any sooner than small dogs. In essence, larger breeds don’t reach their senior years earlier than small dog breeds; they simply die younger.

The distinction is crucial for owners adapting to their dog’s changing needs.

What’s the Science Behind Dog vs. Human Years?

Since dogs mature quickly, go through adolescence, and reach adulthood within 1–2 years on average, the “7 human years for 1 dog year” is inappropriate across a dog’s entire life. Childhood is briefer for dogs than it is for humans, while adulthood is relatively long, giving us the current breakdown for determining a dog’s relative age.

Newer studies complicate matters but may provide an even finer-tuned look at a dog’s true age. A 2019 study used DNA methylation to assess genetic changes related to aging to create an equation to more accurately measure a dog’s equivalent human age.

The Life Stages of a Dog

Dogs go through several life phases featuring defining behavioral and bodily changes. At 4 years old, most dogs are reaching their peak. They’re still active while also leveling out in temperament and nearing their optimal level of memory and attentiveness. Few bodily disorders and signs of aging will appear unless the dog suffers a unique developmental issue.

Life Span by Breed Size

Source: American Kennel Club

Key Factors That Affect the Dog’s Aging Process

Beyond body size, factors such as a dog’s purebred/mixed status, genetics, head shape, and location can influence aging. Owners also play a critical role, as lifestyle aspects significantly affect a dog’s longevity and life satisfaction.

Conclusion

Dogs of virtually any breed reach their prime at 4 years old. They’re active and mature, offering owners peak obedience, health, and energy. At this age, dogs can unlock their fullest potential. Owners owe it to their pets to take advantage of this relatively short period and provide the attention, enriching activities, and bonding opportunities that will substantially impact their immediate and long-term quality of life.

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Featured Image Credit: SubertT, Shutterstock

The post How Old Is 4 in Dog Years? Vet-Approved Guide to Each Size of Dog by Nicole Cosgrove appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.